Repentance
by xMeow
Summary: Story takes place post war, as Sakura is having a hard time settling with Sasuke's brief "confession", that he gave her before he had left on his journey of self reflection. Perhaps when Sasuke returns to Konoha, he may find that he has committed more intimate crimes, that are undoubtedly in need of his time. A SasuSaku romance.
1. Moving On

***~Author's Note: I do not own the Naruto series, and any characters referenced/portrayed in this fic are covered by fair use agreement.~***

 **Prologue**

 ****** Tap ******

Cool fingers grazed my forehead, my skin heating to the touch. Shocked, I glanced up at him confused.

"Sasuke-kun?" I gasped, as his eyes smoldered like burning black coals into my own.

"I'll see you soon" he replied briskly. With just a fraction of a second more prolonged eye contact than normal, he turned away. Sakura's cheeks continued to burn under the surface. _Did that seriously just happen?_

Without a glance backwards, Sasuke walked out of the village, yet again.

 **Chapter 1.**

"SHANNARO"

Sakura's fist landed frustratingly on the table, crushing it in half instantaneously. Seething, she huffed and puffed, Naruto and Hinata staring at her in bewilderment, the broken table separating their held hands.

"Jeez Sakura, what the hell?! You spilt my ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, dropping to his knees before his broken noodle bowl.

"N-Naruto-kun... We will buy you another." Hinata said nervously, gulping, she looked back at the shaking and furiously wide eyed Sakura, who was still holding her fist in the air. "Sakura-san, are you alright?" Hinata continued, anxiously trying to keep the peace.

"I just can't believe it. After EVERYTHING, he's left again! For once, I actually thought he was going to stick around the village, but he barely stepped a toe in by choice since the war..." Sakura sighed a heavy, disheartened sigh, lowering her fist and sinking back into her seat.

Naruto and Hinata eased, looking at Sakura in sympathy. "You are still not over it huh?" Naruto asked nonchalantly, leading the girls to a new table and ordering another bowl. He took Hinata's hand again under the table.

"Over it?!" Sakura growled. Fearing for his life, he raised his spare hand in surrender.

"I just mean, he's been gone for over two months now Sakura. It shouldn't be long till he's back again." Naruto buffered with an awkward smile.

"That's right Sakura-san, just a little more patience and you will see him again in no time!" Hinata agreed happily, smiling at Sakura hopefully.

"You guys are ones to talk" Sakura grumbled, crossing her arms in dejection. "You guys have been dating since the battle with Toneri on the moon, like can you get more epic and romantic than the moon?!" Sakura whined hopelessly.

Naruto and Hinata both blushed, and looked at one another shyly. Naruto gave Hinata's hand a squeeze, causing her blush to deepen. Realizing their error, when Sakura stared at them like she was about to burst into tears, Hinata quickly shook her head.

"I'm sure this time away from you, has been hard on Sasuke-san as well Sakura." Hinata raised her free fist bravely in modest enthusiasm.

"Tch. I wouldn't be so sure. I don't know what I'm upset about anyway." Sakura sighed. "You and Naruto were so obvious from the start, you totally loved him from the beginning, and he always had loved you and never quite knew it..."

Naruto grimaced recalling his prior ignorance, as Hinata tried to hide her obvious embarrassment from the straight forward remark. Breaking their handhold once again, Hinata fidgeted with her fingers timidly, as Naruto grabbed the noodles from the waiter thanking him. He was unsuccessfully trying to hide his food excitement for Sakura's sake, and took extra time cooling his noodles.

"But what do I have...?" Sakura's eyes pooled with tears then, staring at her empty hands in her lap. "Barely a confirmation of his feelings. After all these years, of pining and fighting for him. After all this pain, and he is finally back.. This is what I get?" Sakura's clenched knuckles turned white, and she grit her teeth.

The two nin before her gazed suddenly wide eyed at her, with full attention. _I've never heard her say anything like this before,_ Hinata thought. Naruto shared her opinion out loud, "Sakura-chan... I know you have been waiting a long time, but a lot has changed, and Sasuke really needs this time to mend. You've been so patient this far, and I'm sure once he gets back you guys will spend a lot of time together." Hinata nodded in agreement.

Then... Something inside Sakura snapped. She rose to her feet unconsciously, squeezing her eyes shut, as to not let the tears fall, hands balled at her sides. "I know that Naruto. I know that better than anyone. What could just a little more time harm right? If I have waited so patiently all these years, what's the difference?" Sakura whispered.

She suddenly began to shout, "But you know what? I just realized the true difference here. At the end of the day, all that matters is Sasuke. It's HIS time I am expected to adjust to, it was HIS moral compass we had to guide, it is HIM that needs mending, and now it's suddenly HIS journey alone, AGAIN!".

Two stubborn tears escaped her turquoise eyes, "I had no part in his life when we were kids, and now I have nothing to do with his "sins" or his life now! If I didn't know better, I'd think he was saying he didn't want me at all, ever. I can't take any of this anymore. What about MY time? When do I begin to matter?!"

And faster than a bolt of lightening, Sakura had fled.

Little did Naruto and Hinata know, that they were not the only ones Sakura left behind that day.


	2. Returning Home

**Chapter 2**

*~10 months later~*

Sasuke appraised the Konoha entrance gate, like it was the first time he had ever seen it. As he began to walk into the village, he lamented on his personal journey so far. He felt as though he was only just beginning to experience the world differently, but every person he crossed paths with and every village he entered in the past year, shed even more light onto his dark past.

It was difficult at first to face all the things he had done, but he had found acceptance in most places and people. He helped out families that were victims of the war, and or crimes he had committed. He did not find forgiveness in all people however, but he expected as much.

Sasuke knew that of all places to seek forgiveness from, that his very own home, would be the hardest to face. Perhaps that's why he has put it off so long. Perhaps that's why he is still planning to put it off.

Sasuke felt a depth of anxiety that he was unfamiliar with that day he walked into Konoha.

 _It's only for a few days_ , he assured himself. His coal like eyes, took in his surroundings, making sure not to give away his true feelings in his expression.

As he waded slowly into the village wordlessly, he thought of Sakura and Naruto. Naruto would appreciate his presence, and would no doubt be interested in the news Sasuke had from the other villages. However, he will definitely need to report the news to Kakashi first.

Then his thoughts trailed unwillingly onto Sakura... He recalls the way they parted that day, 12 months ago, and was imagining her smiling face as he would approach her soon. Pangs of yearning signaled excitement in Sasuke, that was also unfamiliar to him.

Picking up his pace, he headed for the Hokage's office.

 ***~SAKURA~***

"Hmm..." Sakura mumbled curiously, holding up two dresses. One was a sparkly black gown with a halter top, and a bold sapphire dress with off the shoulder straps, and a silk wrap around the waist.

"What do you think Ino?" Sakura asked, holding up each dress to her body. Ino was busy sifting through a nearby clothes rack, but stopped to appraise Sakura's selection.

Raising an eyebrow, Ino evaluated the two dresses. Shaking her head in dismay, Ino stated matter of factly, "What the hell are those? You're not going to some formal event Sakura". Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura's angry expression, "You're going on a date! You need something more casual, and flirty". Grimacing, Sakura put down the two dresses, more lost than when she first stepped into the store.

"Well, how the hell am I supposed to know?! This isn't an everyday thing for me. I just want to look good." Sakura huffed, and crossed her arms.

Ino laughed, "Looking good is definitely not an everyday thing for you, that's for sure". Ino instinctively ducked as a shoe came flying by exactly where her head had been. "Not to worry though Sakura, that's why you have me!" Ino replied, laughing jovially. Taking a look around, Ino spotted the perfect dress on the body of a mannequin.

Searching wildly around the store, Ino could not find the same dress anywhere on the racks, and proceeded to yank the dress off the mannequin.

"This is what I'm talking about, try this one on Sakura!" Ino yelled, and tossed the dress over into the dressing stall Sakura had been changing in.

A soft mound of fabric was now laying on Sakura's head, sighing, she plucked it off and put it on the bench. Sakura took a look at the current short white dress she had on in the mirror, it wasn't flattering at all.

"I look like a little kid!" Sakura whined. Defeated, she threw that dress off, and picked up the dress Ino had gave her. It was a deep savory red, with a slight magenta hue. It was well fitted and tight, a little on the short side, with a sweetheart neckline and a slit up the side of the skirt.

Excitedly, Sakura tried it on, and it was a perfect fit. Stepping out of the change rooms, Ino awaited and gawked at Sakura's entrance.

"Holy crap! You look amazing! Damn, I'm good at this" Ino complimented herself, while wheeling Sakura in front of a mirror.

Sakura stared at herself, it really did look great. The colour complimented her pink locks perfectly. It was not too dressy, but definitely on the sexy side as well, perfect for a date. Sakura tried to contain a squeal.

"Thanks Ino!" Sakura couldn't bring herself to insult her egoistic friend, as she really did do a great job finding the dress. Sakura would've never picked something like it out, but she wouldn't admit that much.

"Don't mention it! Now get home and get ready, or you won't have enough time." Ino said impatiently pushing Sakura towards the check out, "I gotta run now, Sai's waiting for me at the park. See ya, and have fun tonight!" Ino said with one last wink, as she dashed out the door.

Sakura smiled while she paid for the dress, _I wonder if he'll like it..._ she thought to herself.

 ***~SASUKE~***

"Ahh Sasuke, it's been a long time" Kakashi said warmly, greeting and ushering Sasuke into his office. Kakashi took off his Hokage headpiece, and set it on the table. Sasuke quickly walked in and bowed to his former sensei, as Kakashi raised his hands in resistance.

"No need to be so formal Sasuke, how have you been? Here, take a seat" Kakashi stated, as he gestured towards the seat in front of him. Sasuke only nodded, and sat down obediently.

"What brought you home from your travels Sasuke?" Kakashi inquired curiously, leaning back in his chair.

"I came to relay some important information on Kirigakure, as you know, the village hidden in the mist has a high level of secrecy associated with it." Sasuke stated affirmatively.

Kakashi nodded for Sasuke to continue. "It seems I have been tipped off, in regards to the number of their shinobi ranks, which is a highly kept secret of the village leaders."

Kakashi raised his eyebrows in surprise, as he passed Sasuke a paper and pen to write down the number. Sasuke handed it back to Kakashi, and Kakashi studied the number carefully, pondering it.

"How reliable was this tip Sasuke? I am assuming you wouldn't come to tell me if you thought it otherwise" Kakashi pressed, still staring at the sheet.

"It is legitimate" Sasuke confirmed, gravely reviewing Kakashi's expression.

Kakashi than relaxed, suddenly burning the paper, and leaning back into his chair. "Well, it's interesting to note Sasuke, however I feel no reason to be worried about this, as our village has a great relationship with Kirigakure, and more specifically the Mizukage herself."

Sasuke pursed his lips, and nodded questionably. "You don't find the number suspicious?" Sasuke continued to prod, in pure disbelief that this news is merely 'interesting'.

"No. Fortunately, I do not. I have confidence in Mei and her proceedings, as she was a part of our allied forces in the fourth shinobi war, and helped us out greatly during the Otsutsuki incident last year."

Kakashi and Sasuke remained silent, staring at each other, as Sasuke absorbed this angle. _So I came back here, to relay useless information?!_

"Ahh" Sasuke whispered dumbly, standing to leave. "That is reassuring news on my behalf, I will take my leave now, and will return if I find anything actually helpful", bowing to his sensei apologetically, Sasuke turned to leave.

"Sasuke..." Kakashi started, and Sasuke looked back at him. "Please do try to stick around a little longer in the village, it really is nice to see you, and I can think of some others who would be very reassured by a visit" Kakashi laughed, and continued, "Don't think of this return as a waste. You never know, perhaps subconsciously you really missed us, and took any small reason you could to come visit" Kakashi teased, snickering, and eyeing Sasuke's reaction.

Sasuke's eyes widened at the proposed notion, and he smirked. Refusing to dignify that suggestion with an answer, Sasuke walked out of the room shaking his head.

Kakashi still grinning after he had left, whispered, "Welcome home Sasuke".

 ***~SAKURA~***

Sakura was just doing the finishing touches on herself, applying a layer of fresh pink lip gloss, and a small spritz of her favorite perfume, when there was a knock at the door.

 _That's strange..._ she thought, _we were supposed to meet at the restaurant_. Curiously, she ran down the steps and to the front door. Her eyes widened at the sight when she opened it.

"OH MY GOD SAKURA!" Ino screamed, eyes ravenous and frightening, and she was sweaty and disheveled as if she just ran half way around the world.

Shocked, Sakura yelled back "WHAT", as Ino latched onto her shoulders.

"Sasuke's back! Shikamaru saw him leaving the Hokage's residence about 15 minutes ago!" Ino exclaimed, exasperated.

Something inside Sakura shook. A yearning came from within her, that she hadn't felt in a long time. Thoughts of that day with Naruto and Hinata 10 months before, came bubbling back. She felt a strange myriad of emotions, like some bizarre cocktail of sentiment and sadness, that was laced with frustration and despondency. Her feelings flipped between them all, until she eventually settled on indifference.

Sakura had been close to Ino lately, especially since her outburst in front of Hinata and Naruto. Ino seemed to be the only one supportive of Sakura's decision to move on from Sasuke, while Naruto and Hinata disapproved incredibly. They couldn't accept that Sakura could just change her feelings, and deep down she didn't even know if she could either, but she would be damned if she didn't try.

Ino has been the only one that truly listened to her feelings about him, and didn't try to interject or minimize Sakura's opinion. Ino understood Sakura's needs, and validated the proposition that she should definitely not be waiting around for Sasuke. Ino would understand more than anyone that just because he is in the village now, doesn't change a thing, and to see Sakura acting different would be a loss of all the progress she made in the last 10 months.

So, Sakura shrugged. She chose indifferent, even if it was mixed. She had to protect herself, because she didn't know how she would act in front of him.

Ino smirked in reply, "Well good, I was hoping you would be like that. Him being here doesn't change anything, I just wanted to make sure you didn't find out later by surprise!" Ino let out a tired sigh, "Woo, I am glad I made it before you left too haha!" Ino smiled then, and put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"You look awesome, good luck tonight, and have fun! Don't even think about him". Sakura was so grateful to have a friend like her, and grabbed Ino into a tight hug.

"Thanks Ino, you've been so supportive of me. I am not going to let something like this ruin my time tonight!" Ino grinned, and squeezed Sakura back.

"Definitely don't. Call me later and tell me how it went. See ya!" Ino replied enthusiastically, as Sakura nodded and smiled.

Closing the door behind her, Sakura ignored the butterflies in her stomach.


	3. Date Night

**Chapter 3**

"Oi! Sakura!" A familiar voice beckoned her. Sakura was fluffing her hair and smoothing her dress in a nearby shop window, around the corner from the restaurant. She was going to attempt to make a confident entrance, yet was caught red handed, awkwardly primping herself. She was definitely more nervous than she anticipated.

"H-hi Takao-kun" Sakura waved, smiling, as he approached her. Ryo Takao, was a renown business man in the hidden leaf. He was a tall, and handsome young man. He inherited his father's company at a young age, and had been succeeding him since. He took a liking to Sakura, who had healed him when his firm had been attacked by rogue ninja, and he had asked her out immediately.

Sakura appraised the man before her, who was smiling widely at her. He had dirty blonde hair, and smoldering hazel eyes, and a tall yet muscular stature. Sakura took careful notice of the business suit he had on, and felt relieved that he had dressed up as well.

"Please, call me Ryo from now on..." he murmured, as his eyes widened, taking in the full sight of Sakura."You look gorgeous" he breathed, as he picked up her hand and kissed it. Sakura blushed, and looked down. _SHAAAA, DAMN RIGHT I DO,_ her inner self exclaimed.

He and Sakura made their way into the restaurant, idly chatting with one another, her arm linked through his.

"Table for two, please" Ryo asked the reception waiter, who instantly looked at Ryo with recognition.

"Ahh Mr. Takao, of course, we have your reserved table ready and waiting" the man said, gesturing for the pairs jackets.

Sakura shrugged out of the silk shawl she had been wearing, and handed it to the man. Once they arrived at the table, Ryo pulled out Sakura's chair for her, and motioned for her to sit.

Smiling meekly, Sakura sat down, and clasped her hands in her lap.

 _Just why am I so nervous?!_ Sakura mentally chided herself, thinking back to how confident she was when Ryo had first asked her out. _Maybe it's because_ _he's_ _back..._ Sakura lamented, but that thought reminded her to remain confident. She took a deep breathe and forced her attention onto the man in front of her, realizing he had already been speaking.

"...and so I was incredibly happy to see you standing there! I thought that perhaps something had happened to you, but then I remembered that you are an amazing kunoichi and that the chances of that were slim to none, so I decided just to walk down over to the shop to window browse, and there you were!" Ryo said, laughing giddily.

Sakura smiled, warming up to her date, "Yeah. Sorry for being late, I had a friend show up last minute to tell me something, I ran so fast over here I just had to stop and catch my breathe".

Meeting Sakura's eyes, Ryo whispered, "Yes I can tell. You didn't have to hurry so much though, I don't mind waiting when it's for you". As he said this, he reached across the table, and slowly tucked a loose strand of Sakura's hair back into place, letting his fingers graze her cheek.

Sakura's cheek warmed to the touch, eyes widening at his intense gaze. _Jeez, were only ten minutes into this date!_ , shaking her head, she laughed to break the silence. Ryo smirked at her, and was about to comment on the colour of her cheeks, when the waiter arrived at the table.

"The champagne, as requested sir" the waiter said keenly.

 ***~FRIENDS~***

"Move your head out of the way Sai! I can't see!" Ino screeched, pushing his head aside to get a closer look. From the bushes, you would think Sakura's friends were stalking her, however on this day, they would refute that and state they were merely 'observing' her from a distance.

"I can't believe she's on a date with that guy! Ino! Why'd you drag us out to see this?!" Naruto asked as he glared at Ino, while he hypocritically pushed around for room in the bush to get a better look.

"Because I want you guys to see how well he treats Sakura! It's only a matter of time before they start dating seriously, and I want you guys to see how happy she is before you make any assumptions about him" Ino said, nodding to herself in approval.

"I don't give a damn how they treat each other!" Naruto growled raising his fist defiantly, "Sakura is supposed to be with Sasuke, end of story. And as for how it's 'only a matter of time', I'll tell ya something else that's only a matter of tim-"

"SHHHHHHHH" Ino hushed loudly, clamping her hand over Naruto's mouth with a loud smack. "Hinata, tell your boyfriend to zip it. Jeez, do you want them to hear us Naruto?!"

Naruto continued screaming unintelligible gibberish into Ino's hand, as Hinata latched onto Naruto's arm anxiously. "N-Naruto-kun..." Hinata began, when a waiter approached the window closest to the bush.

Spying the four of them, the waiter glared viciously at the talking shrub, peering into it. The four shut up, and stared back intently. With one last leer, the waiter huffed and slammed the window shut, before walking away.

"Phew" the four collectively sighed. Naruto, still grumbling and crossing his arms.

"I just don't see what the big deal with this guy is. Once Sasuke comes back, he will set this straight with Sakura and they will be together. There's no point in us getting to know this 'Takao' guy" Naruto affirmed confidently, refusing to look into the window at Sakura's smiling face.

"That's just it Naruto... Sasuke IS back, didn't you hear?" Ino scoffed, as she rolled her eyes at Naruto's ignorance. Naruto's eyes widened suddenly, taking in the information, and his mouth fell open.

Just before Naruto bellowed "WHAAAAAAT", Hinata clamped both her hands over his mouth. The bush writhed while Hinata tried to keep her hold on him, as Naruto scrambled around furiously. Ino sighing, as she pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head in frustration.

After Naruto had calmed down a smidge, he pried Hinata's hands off, and asked "Well what the hell are we doing here for? We have to tell Sakura!"

"She knows you genius. And she is STILL here with Ryo. She said so herself that she doesn't care." Ino said, proudly.

Hinata and Naruto exchanged grave looks. As Naruto took in the information, Hinata cast her concerned gaze through the window at Sakura.

"This is so stupid, damn it!" Naruto suddenly exclaimed, and rose to his feet. "I'm out of here" he muttered. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked in the opposite direction of the restaurant.

"W-wait! Naruto!" Hinata called, catching up to him.

"Tch. It's hard to believe they were ever teammates. He doesn't even know what's good for her when he sees it in front of him. Oh well, come on Sai!" Ino squealed, dragging Sai by the arm out of the bush, "We gotta go before we get caught~!"

Sai scrambled to his feet with her, looking as perplexed as ever, having not said a word the entire ordeal. _Now even Naruto is as confusing as the women_ , Sai digressed. He would continue to ponder the meanings of interpersonal relationships the rest of the evening, but before he could finish that very thought, a shadow flickered out the corner of his eye. He then sensed a familiar chakra.

 ***\Authors note/ I hope you are enjoying the story so far! I would really appreciate if you could leave a review. Both negative and positive feedback helps me out quite a bit, as I want to become a stronger writer. This is why I like romance, as it is challenging to me!/***

 **:) ALL/ANY REVIEWS APPRECIATED :)**


	4. I Guess

***~:) Any and all reviews are SUPER appreciated :) ~*  
**

 **Chapter 4**

His lips had only grazed hers for a fraction of a second.

Heart hammering in her chest, Sakura slowly melted against the closed door behind her, touching her lips. Shocked, and terrified at how she had reacted to him, the realization left her eyes stinging, threatening tears. _Why did I pull away like that? By instinct?! We had a good time..._ the thoughts raced through Sakura's mind.

Ryo and Sakura had just arrived at her door, after a lovely time spent together, when he had tried to kiss her. An innocent peck, after a wonderful evening. The sudden intimacy, had jolted Sakura, and she pulled back from him. With that she thanked him and bid him a prompt goodnight, shutting herself inside immediately.

 _Oh God... I hope he wasn't offended..._ Sakura panicked to herself, still not rationalizing why her body had reacted that way. After all, it was only a kiss.

Gently, she rose to her feet and listened against the door. She heard a sigh, then slowly but surely, she heard Ryo walk away. Relief washed over her, like a wave of warmth over her body.

Prying herself off the door, she decided that she just wasn't ready to kiss him yet, and that was all. Pushing the doubt out of her mind, she walked into her kitchen for a glass of water. _I gotta call Ino soon..._ she mused, _I guess I'll have a bath first_ , she decided.

Running the warm water, she poured her favorite bath oil in, that had a relaxing lavender scent.

Stripped of her clothes, she quickly showered and then dipped into the bath with a sigh, forgetting her troubles.

 _Next time, I won't let a simple kiss catch me off guard_ , she vowed.

 ***~SASUKE~***

Sasuke waded through the village, weaving through the streets briskly. On his way to the inn, he passed four very familiar chakras lurking in the bush nearby.

"I'm out of here!" he heard a voice say. He recognized the voice as Naruto, yet was unfamiliar with the unpleasant tone of his voice. Curious, Sasuke moved quickly to a nearby roof, and watched the scene.

He then saw and heard a woman he knew as Hinata, run after his friend. Looking down into the bush, Sasuke recognized Sai and Ino. More people he hadn't laid eyes on in quite some time.

Sasuke pondered the urgency in which Naruto had fled the scene, and wanted to inquire about the possible dangers of the incident. Looking at the mysterious foliage, as Sai and Ino clumsily made their way out, Sasuke wondered why he would even waste such a thought. _They are all just as strange as usual..._ he confirmed.

Acknowledging Sai's recognition of his presence, Sasuke dropped to the road, and continued on his way. He decided to stop at a nearby store, and pick up some things to eat, as he hadn't stopped since he entered the village.

Continuing on his journey to the inn, he passed by a familiar residence. As much as he has tried since setting foot in the village once again, he could not banish ruminations of Sakura from his mind. Passing by her home did not help.

Curious again, he searched the house for her chakra, coming up empty. Only her parents were inside. _Perhaps she is out,_ he considered, and without hesitation, he continued on his path.

He was passing through a newer area of the village, that must have been a recent expansion, focusing on remembering the streets and taking in his surroundings when...

When he sensed _her..._ Not completely sure whether now was the right time to approach Sakura or not, did not seem to matter, as he was unconsiously already walking in her direction. What he saw made him stop in his tracks, and hide behind a wall.

"I had a great time with you tonight Sakura, I'd love to do it again" a man cooed, making Sasuke's ears burn.

"Yes! I did too, it was really nice. Thanks so much for taking me out, the food was even better than you described!" he heard a sweet and intimate voice say, that was followed with a tinkling laugh that made Sasuke's stomach knot in anticipation.

Suddenly the scene went quiet, and Sasuke glanced over at them. Sasuke was far enough that he couldn't be sure what exactly he saw, but it was followed by a taut farewell and a door slam.

Raising an eyebrow suspiciously, Sasuke eyed up the man that was left standing outside her door. Feeling another peculiar emotion, Sasuke could only identify as 'smug', he watched the man leave Sakura's residence.

Resisting a smirk at the man's expense, Sasuke continued walking to the inn. He concluded all that he had learned on his walk with one simple remark,

 _Ahh, I guess she moved._


	5. Dream

**ANY/ALL REVIEWS APPRECIATED 3 :)**

 **Chapter 5**

*~The Next Day~*

"Sasuke!", called a familiar voice. Sasuke turned around to see Naruto darting towards him at full speed. Wide eyed, Sasuke side stepped to avoid collision. With a beaming smile, Naruto brought his hands down hard, clasping onto Sasuke's shoulders.

"Jeez Sasuke, it's just like you to have waited this long to meet up! How've you been?! What are you doing back in the village?! How has your trip been so far?! Wait... How long are you staying in town? You're not leaving yet are ya?" Naruto exclaimed, asking each question with frantic enthusiasm.

"O-one question at a time Naruto-kun" a small voice answered from behind Naruto. Sasuke peered over Naruto's shoulder, to see that it was Hinata. She was clutching onto the back of Naruto's jacket, looking just as tired as Naruto did from running.

Releasing his grip on Sasuke, Naruto sheepishly scratched his head laughing.

"Haha, yeah, you're right. Sorry about that, I was just surprised to find out you were in town" Naruto said grinning.

Hinata stood next to Naruto then, as she bowed to Sasuke, who nodded amicably back at her.

"Hello Sasuke-san, it's nice to see you again!" Hinata piped up, smiling genuinely.

"It's been a while, Hinata. You both look well." Sasuke said in return, appraising the pair, who happened to be standing in closer proximity than Sasuke would've thought to be usual.

Just then, as if confirming Sasuke's suspicion, Naruto put his arm around Hinata's waist, drawing her closer.

"Oh yeah. I forgot..." Naruto fumbled then, looking down awkwardly before continuing, "You've been gone a while Sasuke, so I'm sure you didn't know but, Hinata and I are together now!"

Sasuke's eyes widened at the new information, taking in Hinata's embarrassed expression, and studying the closeness between Naruto and Hinata. It was peculiar seeing his friend in this light.

"Ahh" Sasuke murmured, nodding in approval of their union. "That's great news. I am happy for you both" Sasuke said, with the beginnings of a truly heartfelt smile on his lips.

Hinata gawked at the small smile on Sasuke's face. _I've never seen him smile before_ , she thought to herself, before Naruto interrupted her thoughts again.

"Well actually Sasuke, it's really good timing that you're here... I've been meaning to ask you something, but it's pretty difficult to get a hold of you when your whereabouts are hard to pinpoint..."

Sasuke squinted, perplexed by Naruto's sudden seriousness. _He's been trying to get a hold of me? What for, a mission?_ Sasuke pondered. _I knew I was drawn back here, so soon, for a reason._

"We should go somewhere more quiet to talk about it" Sasuke said gruffly.

Surprised, Naruto took in Sasuke's shift in mood, and exchanged a puzzled look with Hinata, before agreeing.

"Sure thing, I'm actually starving. How about we hit Ichiraku's like old times? I can explain the whole thing there!" Naruto beamed, delighting in the fact that he had an excuse to eat ramen.

Sasuke and Naruto began to walk through town, as Hinata scuttled after them.

"B-but Naruto! We just ate-!"

* **~SAKURA~** *

"Sakura..." a deep, husky voice whispered. Feeling finger tips skim over her cheeks lightly, Sakura purred, eyes still closed softly.

Putting her weight into the touch, until the hand had cupped her face, Sakura sighed blissfully.

The hand glided to the tip of her chin, raising it slightly, angling her sleepy face. A familiar cologne consumed her, intoxicating her with every lung full, willing her to lose herself in it.

Just inches from her, hot breath ignited her skin, and her lips parted instinctively. Her hands traveled upwards, weaving up from the mans neck, then threading her fingers in his hair. Attempting to close the distance between their bated breath, Sakura whispered...

"Sasuke...Kun..."

" **RINNNNNNNG, RINNNNNNNNG** "

"AHHHHH!" Sakura wailed, as she rolled off the side of her bed.

Bumping her head on the post, she sat up clutching the sore spot. Pouting, she appraised her surroundings, when it suddenly dawned on her what she had just been dreaming about.

 _Not just WHAT I was dreaming about, but WHO_. The very realization itself, sent the sudden butterflies in her stomach into chaos mode.

Attempting incredibly hard not to dwell on the dream, Sakura pushed it into the back of her mind, as she rose from the floor rubbing her head.

 **"RINNNNNNNG, RINNNNNNG"**

The phone shrilled again. Understanding now what had woken her up, Sakura ran downstairs to pick it up.

"Hello?!" Sakura blurted into the phone.

"Hey! Sakura! What the hell, you were supposed to call me last night!" Ino bitterly spat into the phone. Sakura could hear Ino, fumbling with vases clumsily, and the flower shop bell dinging as customers arrived.

Recalling the night before, it dawned on Sakura that she never really did get around to calling Ino. Sakura had nearly fell asleep in the bath, and had blacked out in her robe as soon as she hit the bed.

"Yeah sorry Ino, I passed out last night. I was more exhausted than I expected" Sakura began to explain as she walked into the living room. "Are you sure you can talk on the phone while at work?" Sakura questioned, wincing back from the phone at the piercing sound of a vase shattering on Ino's end.

"SHIT!" Ino yelled, as she called for a broom and dustpan. Sakura stifled a laugh. "Yeah... It's whatever. Look! I want to know all the details, tell me everything!" Ino demanded impatiently.

Sakura moved in front of the mirror, gaping in horror at her appearance. Pulling at her disheveled bedhead, she started to disclose the specifics of the night before.

"Well, dinner was great. We had a lot to talk about actually, he's a good conversationalist. And then he walked me home..." Sakura stated promptly, analyzing and poking at the bags under her eyes in the mirror.

"Did he kiss you?!" Ino insisted, cutting to the chase. Hesitating, Sakura weighed the pros and cons of honesty with her persistent friend.

"You hesitated! HE DID, didn't he?!" Ino practically squealed.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura quickly killed Ino's joy with a brisk "No". Sitting down finally, she sighed in defeat, and decided to explain precisely how she ran away from the kiss.

"No way... That's really unlike you Sakura. Do you think, that maybe it's because HE'S here? That maybe... it threw you off?" Ino investigated.

Biting her lip, Sakura recalled the heady dream she had. It was if it was reality, and just thinking of it caused her concentration to lapse, and for her imagination to take hold.

The familiar pining piped up in her gut, causing her to unwillingly remember all the years of heartache this yearning had caused her in the past, and how that dream was indeed nothing close to reality.

She could never admit to Ino that she had a dream about him, so she decided to act like it was no big deal.

"Honestly, I think the kiss itself threw me off more than anything. It was like, I over anticipated it or something and psyched myself out. Oh well though, I won't let it happen again!" Sakura confirmed, in mock certainty.

" Well alright... But... Oh! That reminds me, when are you seeing him again?" Ino inquired, as Sakura raised her eyebrows and crossed her free arm, considering the question.

"You know what... I'm not sure. I'll call him!"

 ***~Authors note:** **I apologize for the first 3 or so chapters, as I didn't realize the format changed when I transferred**

 **the story into the Doc Manager. The switch between Sasuke and Sakura's POV had no definitive line, and seemed to change**

 **randomly, as the format I used to display this change originally, did not transfer over with the rest of the content.**

 **My apologies if it was confusing for anyone! I went in and corrected this mistake for the past chapters, so that it is more readable.  
**

 **3*~~ Thank you to those that stuck with the story despite that!~~**3 (That'll teach me to review my own work**

 **within DM first, before posting anything ;-; woops)**


	6. Propositions

**Chapter 6**

"I want you to be my best man!" Naruto finally exclaimed, after dragging Sasuke to the nostalgic Ichiraku.

Still surprised by the sudden news that Naruto and Hinata were actually engaged, Sasuke took a second to ponder what Naruto had just asked of him.

Hinata was nervously playing with her fingers, looking down, trying to shield her blush. Sasuke looked from Naruto, back to Hinata, and then back to Naruto again. He realized he had paused too long when even Hinata peeked up at him, awaiting his answer.

Still not completely sure of the duties a 'best man' must fulfill, beyond that it is the man supposedly closest to the groom, Sasuke was hesitant to give a definite answer.

Sasuke quickly weighed the pros and cons of obliging Naruto's request, crossing his arms as his eyes concentrated on the table, reluctant to look at them before deciding.

The most pertinent variable here was _time_. For Sasuke, time was everything at that moment. He had not decided how long he wished to remain in the village, but he knew it would not be long. He had originally planned to be gone in the next few days, but had already been finding himself torn. However, he disliked having something like this push his conclusion prematurely.

The next place he set his sights on for travel, was remarkably far from the village. It could take months of traveling, and with the wedding being only two and a half weeks away, it seemed ridiculous to leave now as he would not get far before having to turn back.

Inwardly, Sasuke grimaced. He longed to be back on the road; at the same time, he recognized his longing for Konoha. In fact, deep down he knew he wanted to get back on the road so he could finish his journey indefinitely, and finally come back to Konoha.

However, he wasn't ready to admit that to himself, as a conflicting part of him didn't even want to face his friends just yet.

Recognizing the sheer irony of his situation, in that he is already face to face with his friends, Sasuke decided to revert to the more logical side of himself where he felt comfortable making decisions.

The cold, calculated part of him, never ceased to aid him when he could not see through his own blurred emotions. It was the one part of him, he could count on.

"Sasuke...?" Naruto prodded, perplexed by his friends rare hesitance. Cocking his head to the side, he squinted at Sasuke, curiously appraising his friends unusual expression.

"Sure" Sasuke stated coolly, his tone assuring and decisive.

Naruto's eyes lit up then, completely forgetting Sasuke's previous out of character mannerisms, totally consumed in his own excitement.

Hinata beamed as well, as the pair quickly poured over some wedding details, over numerous bowls of ramen.

"Yeah... I wanted a small wedding, with just a few close-" Naruto began with a meek tone, before Hinata cut him off swiftly.

"But we've already sent all the wedding invitations!" she stated, with surprisingly sharp confidence, causing Sasuke to raise his eyebrows in amusement. "Everyone's going to be there, and all of the teams have been invited too, team Kurenai, team Guy, team..." Hinata continued for a while, the list of people soon including even village outsiders.

By the end, Sasuke had a full understanding of when and where it will be held, how the ceremony will go, who will be attending, and what he is expected to do.

Despite the baffling list of attendance for the wedding, and the amount of details he now has to remember, something about seeing his friends so overjoyed, really lifted Sasuke's spirit. Ordering a large bottle of Sake, Sasuke toasted to their engagement.

Many kanpai's later, Naruto slung a sluggish arm over Sasuke's shoulder, grinning ear to ear.

"Guess this means you're stickin' around for a while now, eh Sasuke?"

 ***~SAKURA~***

Sipping her coffee, Sakura made her way home, mail in hand. She went for her usual morning run, expecting to only pick up bills in the mailbox, but was surprised to find a quaint, baby blue envelope.

Walking into her house, she sighed, as she gulped back the remainder of her coffee. Setting the envelope down on the kitchen table, she made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

Loosening her hair out of the ponytail it was in, she stripped and headed to the bathroom.

Turning the knobs to the perfect temperature, Sakura sighed once again, upon entering the showers humid embrace.

Enjoying the heat as it enveloped her skin, Sakura forgot all her troubles.

She'd be damned if thoughts of _him_ interrupted her peace right now.

Several minutes later, Sakura exited the shower and wrapped herself in her favorite plush towel. She moved quickly and haphazardly towel dried her hair, and steadily changed into her bathrobe.

As she stepped into her bedroom, to pick an outfit for the day, her stomach growled obnoxiously.

Groaning back at the sound in protest, she decided it would be best to eat something, before heading out.

Dragging herself back to the kitchen, she reluctantly opened the fridge to inspect her options. Spying some eggs, butter, and orange juice, she decided to make a quick egg and bacon sandwich using the whole wheat bread from her pantry.

Humming happily to herself, as she finished frying the bacon, the aroma made her stomach growl even fiercer. She patted her stomach in compliance, quickly putting the sandwich together, and pouring a glass of juice.

Sitting down at the table at last, furiously consuming her food, she remembered the curious blue envelope, and identified its location on the table.

Finishing the last bite with glee, she snatched the letter, and pried it open.

 _Could it be a love letter?_ she fantasized dreamily. Excited, she pulled out a small card from within the envelope.

Scanning it, Sakura recognized that it was indeed not a love letter, much to her dismay. It was in fact, an invitation.

' _You have been cordially invited to the wedding ceremony of Naruto Uzumaki, and Hinata Hyuga'_

Sakura paused, and then all at once remembered Hinata and Naruto's engagement. _I guess they finally picked a date!_ Sakura thought to herself, overjoyed for her friends.

Delighted, Sakura opened the card to inspect the details. She made sure to note the time and exact date of the ceremony, remarking on how soon it was, and was automatically hit with anticipation.

 _Hinata's going to look so gorgeous! I wonder if she's bought her dress yet. Oh my God! What should I wear?_ Enamored with her daydreaming, Sakura nearly missed the small slip of paper that fell out of card.

"Huh?" she inquired aloud, picking up the piece of paper from her lap.

" _Sakura-san, I wanted to speak with you privately, as I am in need of a favor. Could you meet me at the park in town, at 12:30pm on Saturday? Give me a call if you can't make it, so we can reschedule."_

 _-Hinata_

Inquisitively, Sakura looked up and over at the calender. Indeed it was Saturday, _Hinata sure had impeccable timing when she sent these._ _I wonder what this could be about..._ Sakura wondered to herself.

Shrugging it off, she checked out the clock that read 11:34am, and decided it would be best to leave right away.

Sprinting upstairs, she fervently threw on some clothes, discarding her robe. Jumping out the window, she dashed into town.

* **~A little while later~** *

Sakura finally arrived, spotting Hinata at a bench who was sipping a warm drink. Jumping from the roof she had perched on, Sakura landed gracefully in front of Hinata.

"GAHH" Hinata gasped, nearly dropping her cup. "O-oh... Sakura-san, you startled me!", the disheveled Hinata said, as she calmed down and straightened her blue skirt.

Sakura laughed, slightly embarrassed, "Guess I wasn't as graceful as I thought, haha".

Hinata raised her hands in awkward protest, "N-no, I just wasn't expecting it" she reassured, before gesturing for Sakura to take the seat next to her.

Nodding, Sakura relaxed into the spot next to Hinata. When she did, Hinata suddenly thrust a cup into her face.

"For you" Hinata offered, smiling happily.

Inhaling the tantalizing scent of her favorite brew, a vanilla bean coffee, with light whip cream and hazelnut syrup, Sakura's mouth watered.

Sakura accepted the drink cheerfully, thanking Hinata in the process. Taking a sip, Sakura noticed that it had a few caramel sprinkles in it for good measure and extra sweetness. _God, I just love sweet stuff! Hinata's the best_ , she thought gladly.

Remembering that this wasn't what she came here for, Sakura willed herself to focus on the quiet girl next to her, who was sipping her own drink contently.

"So, you wanted to talk about something?" Sakura inquired, taking another heavenly sip.

"Mhmm..." Hinata nodded and mumbled.

Curious now, Sakura waited impatiently for Hinata to finish, who seemed to be needlessly anxious.

"Come on Hinata! It's me! Whatever it is, you can tell me. Just go ahead and say it" Sakura said, flashing her most trustworthy smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

Hinata breathed nervously, before abruptly standing and facing Sakura who sat wide eyed on the bench.

Bowing deeply, Hinata hastily spat out her words, "S-sakura-san, I know this is a lot to ask of you, but would you please be my m-maid of honor?!"

Sakura blinked a few times, letting the proposition sink in, before unconsciously standing to her feet in excitement.

"Of course!" Sakura practically shrieked, wrapping her arms around her friend in a tight hug.

Shocked, Hinata returned Sakura's embrace enthusiastically, before pulling away, bowing once again.

"Thank you so much, Sakura-san" Hinata said in a very genuine tone, however, Sakura picked up Hinata's hands pulling her up, clamping onto them.

"It's no problem at all! There's no need to be so formal Hinata, gosh. There's so much to be done, I was going to ask you, have you picked a dress yet? How about bridesmaids colors? I want to inspect the venue so we can pick the best arrangements and-" Sakura paused her exuberance for a second, and asked gravely, "Wait... Why did you choose me?"

Hinata nodded, as if expecting the question, releasing her hands from Sakura.

"Well... To be honest, I wanted to ask you first, but when I proposed the idea to Naruto, Hanabi overheard and got her feelings hurt" Hinata started glumly, "However, after I agreed to let her be my maid of honor, it seems she wasn't prepared for all that it entailed, and backed out of the idea a little over a week ago" Hinata stated, shaking her head in dismay.

"I guess she is still too young to accept that type of responsibility, so she is more than happy to let someone else do it now. That's why I apologize coming to you about it so short notice" Hinata said, apologetically.

Sakura laughed.

"That sounds a lot like her! Guess she really is still a kid..." Sakura said, as she continued to chuckle. "Don't worry Hinata, I am super thrilled you asked me, and it isn't short notice at all. I'm going to help you make it the best wedding ever!" Sakura said, clapping in glee.

"Oh..." Hinata said, suddenly looking down at her feet, before looking back up with tears in her eyes, "Thank you so much Sakura-san! I'll be forever indebted to you!"

Sakura awkwardly handed the clearly distressed bride a tissue, patting her on the head with a tentative smile. "Calm down Hinata. It's not a life debt. I know it's scary when stuff doesn't go according to plan before the wedding, but I'll make sure nothing else goes awry!"

"Thank you again Sakura-san" Hinata said, bowing slightly one last time. Hinata's face suddenly perked up questioningly, "Before we go over the wedding plans, have you decided on who you're bringing as your plus one?"

"Oh of course, don't worry about anything, you just worry about you, I can find everything I need- _wait..._ " Sakura gasped, realizing what Hinata had actually asked.

"My plus, what?!"

 ***~AUTHORS NOTE~* Any and all reviews much appreciated 3 :)**

**Thank you to Kino558, and Ber for reviewing! :3**

 **Thank you to Pinksakura17, Marshmallowkitthey, Defuse00, Shannon Rei D. Sumner, and Blossoms700 for following this fic! :)**

 **And thank you to Pinksakura17 as well for favoriting! :D**

 **You all inspired me to finish this chapter, and to continue to write this fic ^-^ 3 ~Thanks so much~**


	7. Eyes

**Chapter 7**

"Uhm... Sakura-san?" Hinata asked, with a concerned tone, while Sakura gawked in response.

Sakura did remember vaguely seeing the option of bringing a plus one written on the card, however, she could have sworn it was _optional._ So why was Hinata staring at her so expectantly?

"Well uh, I was just thinking of coming alone..." Sakura confirmed, sheepishly.

"Oh... Well, it is optional for regular attendee's to bring someone, but I was kind of hoping you had someone in mind. There is going to be formal dancing, and all of the bridesmaids and groomsmen are bringing dates to participate, after Naruto and I have our first dance" Hinata quieted, before continuing, "You know... To get everyone else in the spirit. I-I can change that if you want Sakura-san, I don't want you to be the only one without a partner so-"

Sakura cut her off then.

"No. It's perfectly fine Hinata" Sakura said, as she slowing let her confidence take over, "I will have no problem finding a date, don't doubt my abilities! I just feel bad for the guy that ends up being used for only one night" Sakura said smugly, hands on her hips, stifling a malicious laugh.

Awkwardly, Hinata forced a laugh, attempting to ignore the obvious insecurity Sakura held.

"A-alright. Good! Well, how about we meet up on Monday to go over the preparations?" Hinata asked, happy to change the subject.

Sakura nodded in agreement, "And don't worry Hinata, I'll get my date sorted out ASAP. I'll see you Monday!" Sakura called back, already jogging in the direction of her home.

Hinata stood there smiling and waving back at Sakura, _I sure hope this isn't too much pressure for her right now..._

 _*_ _ **~Home Again~**_ _*_

Hauling in a few bags of groceries, Sakura kicked her front door closed behind her.

"WHEW" she sighed, as she kicked off her boots and set the bags on the counter.

Putting away her groceries, and setting aside her dinner ingredients, Sakura heard her phone go off in the other room.

 ****RINNNNNNNGGGG****

"Coming..." She mumbled to no one, as she waded into the living room and picked up the phone.

"Sakura speaking" she stated blandly, catching sight of herself in the mirror.

"Hey! Sakura! Did you get Naruto and Hinata's wedding invite?" the voice she recognized as Ino's, eagerly shrilled out of the phone.

Primping herself in the mirror, Sakura felt herself fill with pride as she announced, "Invited? I've been asked to be the maid of honor"

"WHAT?! Why you billboa- I mean", Ino paused to sigh and calm herself down, "Good. I'm glad it's you actually, you are a pretty good planner, and the role comes with big shoes to fill" Ino stated calmly, to which Sakura was astonished.

"Well thanks Ino, that's awfully nice of-" Ino cut her off almost instantaneously.

"Yeah it's great, because it means that the other bridesmaids and I, have nothing to worry about. In fact, we can just let you know everything we want, and you can discuss it with Hinata for us" Ino said slyly, her tone rich with malice.

Irritated and bested, Sakura openly sighed into the phone, _Ino, you never miss a beat do you?_ she thought to herself.

"Wait, who are all the other bridesmaids anyway?" Sakura inquired, curiously, plucking a loose string from her shirt.

"Besides us, Tenten, Temari, and Hanabi. And for the groomsmen, I'm not completely sure, but I know my Sai is going to be one for sure, and probably Lee, Choji and Shikamaru"

"Really...? Temari?" Sakura asked, realizing the potential offense of her question.

"Yeah, I know. But since Shikamaru is going to be a groomsmen most likely, there's no way Temari would go with him unless she was one. You gotta respect her for that" Ino said chuckling, seemingly unaffected by Sakura's blunt criticism.

"Well, as long as Hinata's happy, that's all that matters. This will be a good bonding experience for all of us I think" Sakura said, lightening the mood, and surprised by her own genuine tone. She really did want to deepen her bonds with the girls, everyone sort of got swept up in their own lives since the war ended.

"Hey Sakura..." Ino began, interrupting Sakura's wishful musings, "Do you think Sasuke will be coming? Has Hinata said anything to you?"

Startled by the question, Sakura chewed her bottom lip, "I'm not sure honestly, and no she hasn't". Sakura's eyebrows furrowed further, "I had already assumed he had left the village by now anyway. Haven't seen or heard any news about him, and I'm sure he didn't intend on staying long".

"Hmm..." Ino breathed, while multiple seconds of silence filled the phone line.

"Well, whatever. You'd think he'd be around for his buddies big day, but that's none of my business" Ino snapped, "All right, so have you got a date yet? All of us already have one, so it's just you that needs to get sorted" Ino said, rubbing it in with her actually authentic concern.

Sakura made a 'pffft' sound, and retorted, "And why exactly would you assume I don't have a date yet? I'll have you know, it's not an issue that needs 'sorting'".

"So it's Takao then?" Ino pressed.

 _SHIT!_ , Sakura covered her mouth from nearly speaking her thoughts aloud. _I totally forgot to call Takao!_

"Yes. I was thinking about bringing up the idea with Takao, as a matter of fact" Sakura said, attempting to sound poised.

"... You totally forgot to call him didn't you?" Ino declared, blandly.

"Oh my God, YES okay?! I can't believe I forgot, I'm going to call him right away" Sakura admitted in dismay.

Ino sneered, and stifled a laugh at Sakura's expense, "Well good luck, I'm sure he will say yes! Maybe if you bring it up the right way, he'll offer to take you, and save you your dignity from being the one to ask _him_ "

Audibly whining now, Sakura said "Jeez Ino, give me a break. It's obvious you are on a roll today, so I'm gonna steer clear. My ego can't take much more"

"You know I love you," Ino giggled, "Don't be dumb. Call him up, and tomorrow you and I should meet up so we can go over some bridesmaids stuff"

"Ugh Ino, it's up to Hinata what she wants us to do, you shouldn't be pushy with your 'suggestions', and I'm not sure about tomorrow, I'll have to call you" Sakura said briskly, walking back into the living room.

"Don't say that Sakura, come on, and don't blow me off tomorrow either! We all want to look good that day, and the original idea was to have us wear pink dresses, but pink brings out the red in my skin, and Temari hates pink, and Tenten thinks we should have pink flower arrangements instead, which I think is a perfect idea-"

"I'm hanging up now" Sakura said, rolling her eyes.

"No! Wait! So we came to the conclusion, that lilac dresses with different necklines, and skirt lengths would compliment everyone, especially my complexion, and because Temari's legs are SUPER long, despite the fact that we are all around the same height, so she wants a dress that accentua-"

 ***Click***

Sakura hung up the phone before she could finish. _Oh boy... This is gonna be a lot a work with those girls_ , she thought to herself, shaking her head.

 _I guess I should give Takao a call..._

Reaching for the phone again, Sakura felt the weirdest sense of hesitation. Shaking her head once to snap out of it, she picked up the phone, and dialed Takao's number.

"Hello?" the man answered.

"Takao! Hi, it's Sakura" Sakura said, feigning enthusiasm.

"Sakura! It's great to hear from you, how have you been?" He asked, with extra exuberance.

 _Must be happy I called. Jeez, how long did I wait?_

"I've been well, and yourself?" Sakura asked politely.

"Good now that I've finally heard back from you, honestly I was worried I wouldn't after the other night. Sorry if I spooked you..." Takao said, in a genuinely apologetic tone.

"Oh no! Not at all, I apologize for that. I had a really nice evening with you" Sakura reassured, remembering now, how she had fled from him before a kiss.

"Well, how about I make it up to you anyway, and we go out again? Are you free this Wednesday?" Takao countered smoothly.

Looking over at her calender, Sakura realized she had work that day. Chewing her lip, she analyzed the times. It w _ouldn't give us long, but..._

"Actually, I work Wednesday. But I have something I need to talk to you about, so maybe we can just meet up for coffee, and then do something on the weekend?" Sakura offered, hoping he'd agree.

 _The sooner I ask him, the sooner I can forget about it_ , she concluded.

"Sure! I'll swing by the hospital when you're off, and we can go from there" Takao replied warmly.

 _Yessss,_ Sakura celebrated internally. "Great! I'm off at 4:00pm. I'll see you then" Sakura stated.

"Of course, goodnight Sakura, see you Wednesday" Takao murmured, as he took note of their arrangement.

"Goodnight" she said, before hanging up the phone quickly.

Sakura stretched from the arm of the seat she had been sitting on, and landed backwards on the couch. _Great, everything seems to be working out! I hope everything goes according to plan._

Yawning, she remembered how hungry she was prior to the phone calls, and got up swiftly to make dinner.

 _Now where was I..._

 _ **~Monday~**_

 ***~SASUKE~***

"Helloooo~ Sasuke-kun~!" An unidentifiable women greeted Sasuke, as he walked into a tux fitting store with Naruto.

Naruto chuckled, as he walked right past them, disappearing deeper into the store. Sasuke appraised the women, and finding nothing that jogged his memory of her, he decided to nod politely and carry on walking.

"Wait! Sasuke~! Don't you remember me?!" The woman's shrill voice, pierced Sasuke's ear drums, causing him immediate irritation towards her. She had grabbed his arm, to prohibit him from walking any further away.

Looking down at his arm, and then staring disapprovingly into the young woman's eyes, she let go in earnest.

"Sorry about that~!" she giggled, as she let go of her inappropriate grip on him. "Do you really not recognize me though...?" She persisted with a whine, pointing to her pouting face.

Sasuke's cold stare, solidified that he had no recognition of her, causing her pout to turn into an expression of shock.

"We went to the academy together!" The girl suddenly blurted out, giving away her true feelings in her tone.

"Ahh" Sasuke simply replied. "That was long ago. I apologize, but I do not remember you", Sasuke stated factually.

The girl blinked a few times, in process, before regaining her composure. "Well, that's alright. It's true too, it has been a while. What do you think about getting reacquainted~?" The girl purred, in sudden contrasting confidence to how she was before.

Sasuke had no intentions of becoming acquainted, reacquainted or otherwise with unnecessary people.

"No"

Sasuke replied so ice cold, the girl winced. He turned on his heel then, and continued into the store, leaving the dumbfounded girl behind.

Pushing through, Sasuke had an odd, sudden realization. Filled with a foreign curiosity, he angled his head slightly, to peer behind him at the women, but not so much that he would alert her of his gaze.

She had sat back against the counter, staring wide eyed and mouth agape at the floor, before slowly closing her mouth, and tightening her hands into fists. She sighed sadly, and muttered "I'm so stupid to think he-", stopping herself mid sentence. After another hearty sigh, she crossed her arms and stared out the window.

Sasuke stopped looking at her then, feeling immediate guilt. This was an unfamiliar feeling to him, as fresh guilt was surprisingly rare. Since Sasuke became aware of his affect on those around him, atoning for his sins and feeling constantly guilty since that day had become usual.

However, this was different. It was fresh. It was new. It was something he had just done, to unintentionally hurt another with his indifference.

It is complicated for him though, as dealing inter-personally with those around him in a healthy manner has always been difficult. That was usually due to his reluctance to put any importance on those around him and acquire the necessary information in which it required to communicate with them effectively.

Realizing that he will only continue to do harm, even unintentionally by not realizing this, Sasuke felt the sudden, and inexplicable urge to turn around and explain himself to the woman.

As he started to walk towards her, he kept thinking, _What is it...? What is it about this woman that is making me do this? Surely, it is unnecessary. Nothing particularly beneficial will happen to either of us, from me divulging my motives to her. Why do I feel like I owe her?_

That's when it dawned on Sasuke.

 _Sakura..._ he thought. A new knot in his stomach twisted and gripped violently, when he recognized the similarities. The way she acted, reminded him a lot of Sakura, even subconsciously. _It's not this women I need to be speaking to..._

Sasuke had already gotten too close however, and the women was about to turn around to face him.

Once the girl had locked eyes with him, her mouth slowly opened into a broad, excited smile.

Thinking on his feet, Sasuke opened his mouth to speak when,

"Hey man! Come on! We still have to pick the suits, and get measured and all that. What's taking ya' so long Sasuke?" Naruto said, throwing his arm over Sasuke's shoulder, beaming his usual overly animated grin.

Naruto steered Sasuke around then, unintentionally saving him from another strange encounter, leading him upstairs to the fitting area.

Relieved, Sasuke decided to focus on the matter at hand instead.

Naruto had given him an important mission, of selecting the groomsmen's formal attire, and aiding Naruto in his final choice for his own.

"These are the ones Hinata had brought up for us to choose from, I didn't want too spend to long here, and I don't think it's such a big deal. So lets just pick through this rack I guess..." Naruto said, with a perplexed tone.

Sasuke stopped him, and Naruto looked at him questioningly.

Sasuke breathed, and then stared intensely at the selection from the rack. _This is my mission. I will give it the best of my abilities._

Feeling Sasuke's intensity, Naruto gawked at the dark stare Sasuke was burning into the clothes, Naruto backed up meekly. *Gulp*

"Uhhh... Sasuke..." Naruto began, completely bewildered.

"Shhh" Sasuke ordered, with a powerful commanding voice, that ceased all interruptions.

The tailoring lady had just entered the room, and immediately felt the foreboding aura that was quickly filling it. Naruto shot her a grave look, and as she looked at him, and then to Sasuke, she slowly crept backwards, wide eyed, out of room.

Fast as lightening, Sasuke pulled the tuxes off the rack, and inspected each head to toe, with blinding speed.

Naruto watched, not daring to speak a word.

"It is done" Sasuke said finally, in a dark voice, thrusting two tuxedo's in Naruto's face.

Gulping again, Naruto stepped back into the room, and hesitantly took the tux's from his bizarre buddies clutches.

Looking back once at Sasuke, who's expression went from grave and cloudy, to unexpectedly anticipatory, Naruto assessed the clothes.

Sasuke anxiously counted the painstakingly long seconds it took for Naruto to give the final verdict...

"Hey! These are pretty great Sasuke!" Naruto slapped Sasuke on the back then, in approval. "You saved us a lot of time too. I'm so stoked to wear a bow tie, I'll look like one of those suave movie guys!" Naruto enthusiastically exclaimed, as Sasuke let out a sigh of relief.

Naruto went right back to how he was before, giddy in his imagination, now thinking about some ridiculous movie scene.

Sasuke and Naruto headed down the stairs, after getting their tuxedo's tailored to them, and got the rest of them on hold.

"Great! Well, just make sure the other groomsmen come in before Friday for their fitting. Congratulations on your wedding by the way!" A different girl, who manned the cashier said cheerfully as she accepted Naruto's payment.

Sasuke and Naruto exited the store then. Sasuke feeling much better now that the ordeal was over, and Naruto was chatting away, when they spied two familiar females walking by.

"Hey Hinata! Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled, running up to the girls cheerfully, picking up his fiances hand. "How's the dress shopping going? We got our tuxes! They look awesome!"

Sasuke followed quickly after Naruto, and he couldn't help himself but stare at Sakura as he approached.

It had been too long.

"Hi Sasuke-san, thanks for helping Naruto out with the shopping!" Hinata said, happily smiling, and bowing to Sasuke.

He could barely bring himself to notice, as at that moment, a pair of luminous green eyes looked up to meet his steadfast gaze, staring deeply back at him.

 _Sakura..._

 ** _**~ANY/ALL REVIEWS APPRECIATED :)~**_**


	8. The Present

**Chapter 8:**

 _Sasuke..._

Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, as Sasuke's onyx eyes consumed her. It was as if time ceased to exist, and for what felt like an infinite amount of seconds, Sakura drowned under his scrutiny.

She couldn't believe he was still in the village.

Countless emotions arose within her, lashing between a bitter sweetness that left her mouth parched and wordless, and then chucking her headlong into an exasperated rage.

It was complete and utter turmoil within her, all the while the emotions hung in the suspense of the small moment between them, that writhed along the anxiety that she was so used to experiencing in his presence.

She hated it.

Memories of her life from when she first met him, and down to every detail of their past encounters, came boiling up to the forefront of her mind.

A particular memory of how he had shamed her, once again, with the degrading genjutsu he forced upon her the last time she confessed, left a specifically contemptuous taste in her mouth.

She had forgotten about it, she realized. Back then she was more than relieved to know that when she recovered from the genjutsu, he and Naruto hadn't died in their final battle. She was caught up in the victory of his changed heart, and thought nothing of the animosity he had displayed towards her previously.

She even tried to forget it when he was released from prison, and when she offered to accompany him on his journey. But he had denied her. Again.

Remembering the day that she snapped in front of Hinata and Naruto, she now realized that she was _truly_ justified in how she felt and what she had decided that day. She was confused then, but now the truth seemed so clear, as if it were reflected in his eyes.

Peering up into his unmistakably charcoal stare, she recalled the malice that had hid within them for so long. And possibly still does.

Even though he had apologized, it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough to prove that he truly cared about her, and she gave him that chance by asking to go with him on his expedition.

She was exhausted from picking apart their every interaction, looking for any semblance of subtext that signified his possible feelings for her.

And the forehead poke, was not about to cut it.

For all she knew, it was just more miscommunication. She did not want to believe this at first, after so many years pining for a sign, but getting denied confession after confession left Sakura more protective of her heart with each blow.

There was only so many times she could extend her feelings to him, so vulnerably, until her heart had become hardened. It was going to take a lot more to convince her of his feelings, if there were ever any at all, then something that could be misconstrued as a friendly gesture. _If he would or had just pursued me the tiniest bit, just to confirm that we were more than just teammates..._

But that is fantasy.

She had decided that day, 10 months ago, that she will no longer be dominated by delusion and wishful thinking. That day, she left the fantasy she called 'love' behind.

 _We were once teammates,_ she thought, _Nothing more, nothing less. The plan was to get him back to the village, and on our side. We accomplished that,_ she concluded.

 _I will not fool myself into believing otherwise, again._

"Uhhh, hey, you guys alright?" Naruto questioned cautiously, as he speculated the curious psychic interaction between the two.

Sakura was the first to respond, as she felt a certain pride swell up in her chest.

"Yes. Sorry, it's been a while hasn't it Sasuke?" Sakura pointed out coolly, as she crossed her arms, and leaned on one hip.

She let her eyes confidently size him up, wandering from his feet to his head.

He looked similar to when she last saw him, still dressed in his long dark cloak, and expression just as blank as it ever was.

She tried hard not to take notice of his rinnegan, skipping over it quickly, attempting to not get sucked into it's foreboding mauve hue. She would never admit it out loud, but the thought of looking into it again, sent chills up her spine.

She did notice however, that his hair was slightly longer than usual, making his regularly spiky hair a tad bit less pronounced.

"It has" Sasuke answered, equally detached, however his eyes hadn't left hers.

Recognizing the awkwardness of the moment, Hinata piped up.

"Well! Actually, we were only just on our way to the dress shop, we did some other errands earlier today" Hinata said, smiling unabashedly.

"Oh awesome! We can walk you there if you want, we were only just heading back!" Naruto offered, syncing up with Hinata's energy, smiling away.

"I would like that! Sakura-san, do you mind?" Hinata inquired, however she had already linked arms with Naruto and had started walking in the direction of the shop.

Raising an eyebrow, she appraised Hinata's nonchalance. "Not at all" she confirmed, dryly.

Sakura began walking then, not wanting to be left behind. As she moved, Sasuke kept pace with her, walking beside Naruto as Sakura walked in line with Hinata.

"Oh yeah, Sakura-chan, I forgot to tell you..." Naruto began, his expression jovial. "Sasuke is sticking around in the village for a while, and has agreed to be my best man!" Naruto announced with glee.

Sasuke kept staring straightforward, and said nothing in contribution to Naruto's announcement.

 _Great..._ Sakura huffed mentally.

"Ahh that's nice for you Naruto, I wasn't sure who you were going to ask!" Sakura said, in mock enthusiasm.

"And Sakura-san has agreed to be my maid of honor! I am so happy she is here to help me, the decisions have been much more difficult than I anticipated they'd be" Hinata commended, grinning at Sakura.

Sakura smiled back complacently, "It's my pleasure, Hinata. I am actually so psyched for the wedding, we've put a lot of planning into it already!" Sakura said, inwardly applauding herself at how well she was keeping her composure.

Sasuke said nothing as he took note of Sakura's role in their mutual friends wedding.

"I didn't know you were still in the village Sasuke" Sakura stated, creating harmless small talk.

"I was not supposed to be, however, plans changed" Sasuke answered, frankly.

 _Ice cold as ever..._ Sakura thought to herself, stifling a chuckle.

 _What has gotten into me? Why is this so funny?_ Sakura mentally scolded herself, before realizing how getting over Sasuke might not have been so hard, if she had known it was this easy to relax in his presence.

She felt like she had surpassed a specific milestone, and praised herself for her indifference.

Feeling eyes on her now, as Sasuke was watching her face intently, she gave him a small shrug and a "Hm" as an answer to his statement, and then continued looking forward as they all walked.

Arriving at the bridal gown boutique, Hinata came to a quick halt before it, stepping in front of Naruto.

"Alright, you can't come any further Naruto-kun!" she confirmed, with a tight nod and serious expression, as she held her hands out before him in protest.

Naruto looked confused, as he stopped before walking into her hands.

Before he could open his mouth, Sakura equipped a sly grin, as she slid in front of the shop door behind Hinata.

"She's right Naruto, it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride in her dress before the wedding!" Sakura grinned.

Still confused, Naruto retorted, "Huh?! But she hasn't even picked a dress yet!"

"Exactly. She's going to be trying on a bunch, and one of them might be it. Don't want to risk you seeing it, when she comes out of the changing room to the mirrors" Sakura said, persuasively, knowing that he would probably just complain about how boring the process was anyway.

Naruto scratched his head, "Well, alright I guess. I did just say we'd walk you guys anyway, see you two later. Oh, and good luck!" he said decidedly, finally breaking out into another wild grin.

Hinata and Sakura waved them goodbye, as the boys turned back the way they came. Sasuke had bowed slightly to the girls before departing alongside Naruto.

Hinata hurried into the shop excitedly, and Sakura spared one last glance behind her at Sasuke. _That really, wasn't so bad,_ she thought to herself gleefully.

* **~Tingle, Tink, Ting~** *

The shop bells chimed, as Sakura followed Hinata through the door.

"Where HAVE you ladies been?!" cried an incredulous voice, "It is literally weeks from the wedding! We have so many dresses to go through, and I need updated measurements!"

A boisterous women wailed, bounding up to the astonished pair of girls.

She was a squat, heavy set women with thick red rimmed glasses. Her mousy brown hair was curled in an obnoxious up-do, and she wore a purple dress coat and skirt, with a gaudy pearl necklace.

Taking in the sight of the women, was a task of its own, but Hinata and Sakura didn't have long to stare before being pushed deeper into the store.

"S-sorry Oshiro-sama, we ran into the groom and his best man on the way over..." Hinata insisted as the lady, pushed Sakura towards the waiting area by the mirrors, and tugged Hinata into the dressing room.

Snapping her fingers, that were garnished with impossibly long, thick, red finger nails, four women obediently approached Hinata.

"Excuses, excuses. I do not care if you ran into the Hokage himself, we have a ridiculously tight schedule Ms. Hyuga. Soon you will be becoming a missus, but that will never happen if you fail to show up to your bridal appointments on time! For all we know, the dress you choose could be on back order, and it could end up taking weeks to acquire it and..."

The loud women continued nagging, as she rolled in tall racks of dresses, each secured in their own protective casing.

A startled Hinata, opened her mouth to apologize again for the inconvenience, until the four seamstresses approached her and gave her a little bow, before suddenly pouncing on her all at once.

"I'm sorr- Ahhhhh!" Hinata cried, as her clothes were being pulled off her left and right, the seamstresses already beginning the measurements, forcibly holding her arms out. Hearing her cry out, Sakura ran into the room.

"Is everything all right in here!?" Sakura asked, anxiously, eyeing up Hinata's situation

"Save your breath dear, you're going to need it to suck in that stomach of yours" the women said stiffly, completely ignoring Sakura, as she adjusted the edge of her glasses, peering closer at Hinata's body.

Going pale at the woman's boorish comment, Sakura noticed Hinata blushing wildly, as she stared at Sakura, silently pleading with her eyes for help. Sakura reassured her friend with an awkward smile, and a shake of her head to indicate that she looked fine.

Madam Oshira noticing the exchange, turned towards Sakura then, glaring at her with a spine chilling intensity.

Feeling the ferocity, Sakura bit her lip and backed off slowly to a free chair in the dressing room and just sat quietly, a sweat drop rolling down her neck.

"Seriously! This is exactly why I take measurements so often with you young girls, you need to maintain a consistent weight or you won't have time to get the dress tailored properly to you before the wedding. The last thing ANY of us need right now is..."

The rude woman continued, flitting aggressively through the dresses, as the seamstresses took the last of Hinata's measurements.

"Alright, enough of this chitchat" the lady suddenly said, in a cutting tone, "Try this one on! QUICKLY!"

"Yes Madam" the seamstresses nodded, rushing to grab the dress, and then darting back to Hinata.

Sakura smiled tentatively in encouragement, nodding to the uneasy bride.

 _Hoo boy, this is gonna be a long day..._

* **~SASUKE~***

 _Her eyes..._ it had been so long since Sasuke had last peered into them. It was a strange moment that had occurred between them for sure, Sasuke saw a multitude of facets flicker in Sakura's eyes, that were very foreign to him.

He had seen a variety of Sakura's looks over the years, each emotionally charged in their own way, however, there was something different about this time.

He recalled her varied expression, and how it at first perplexed him. He chalked it up to surprise, or nervousness from seeing one another after such a long time, but there was something... More to it. Something definitive.

Sasuke continued to ponder the idea, analyzing the moment for clues, curious as to what her eyes might have been betraying, when his thoughts were rudely interrupted.

 *****GRUMMBBLEE*****

Sasuke heard an obnoxious sound, coming from Naruto's stomach.

"Ahhh man, I'm starving! All this shopping and what not made me hungry. Whaddaya say we stop and eat something Sasuke?" Naruto whined, clutching his stomach, attempting to control the ferocious growls.

Curbing a chuckle, Sasuke nodded in agreement. He will just have to set his personal thoughts to the side for now.

"Hmmm... Ichiraku's is a bit far from here, how about we try this place?" Naruto asked, obviously pretty desperate to eat, seeing as Ichiraku's is never too 'far'.

He pointed towards a small traditional looking restaurent. After appraising it, Sasuke agreed with a taut nod.

Following Naruto in, who practically blazed right by the waitress to seat himself, Sasuke took his seat across from his friend.

"Can I get you two started with some drinks?" the young lady with a bubbly voice asked, as she stood in front of the table.

"Actually, I'm ready to order right away. Is that alright with you Sasuke?" Naruto asked briskly.

Sasuke scanned over the menu quickly, and mumbled a yes, as Naruto began to order anyway.

"Whaddaya mean you don't sell ramen?!" Naruto wailed in shock, nearly rising to his feet.

The lady gawked at Naruto's intensity, but bowed in apology to him.

"I'm sorry sir, the only thing close that we serve here is dipping noodles" the girl said, attempting to console and persuade him.

Naruto's face distorted into even more agony as he cried, "DIPPING NOODLES?!", and let his face fall into his hands in defeat.

"Not this again..." he groaned.

The girl suddenly piped up in determination, and said "Why yes! It seems they are all the rage right now, and our restaurant was a bit behind the times. We had a lovely woman from the village come by and teach our chefs!"

Naruto already knew where this was going. Defeated, and too hungry to care, he obliged the women and ordered the dipping noodles.

"I'll have a set of katsuobushi onigiri" Sasuke stated, and handed the waitress the menu's.

"Alrighty, and how does two green teas to drink sound?" The waitress inquired, scribbling down their orders on a notepad.

Sasuke nodded politely.

"Sure, sure" Naruto said glumly, waving the waitress away.

Several minutes later, the waitress returned with their order.

Upon receiving their food, the waitress took extra care to lay Sasuke's out nicely in front of him.

"Anything else I can get you boys?" the waitress asked sweetly, attempting to give both guys equal attention, but her eyes kept uncontrollably resting on Sasuke.

"No, that's all thanks" Sasuke said politely, turning his attention to Naruto who had already started on his noodles.

As if waiting for the waitress to leave, Naruto suddenly picked up the bowl of broth, and poured it into his noodle bowl.

"I'll have to live without the toppings, just this once... But NEVER again!" Naruto vowed, holding up his chopsticks triumphantly, before digging in.

Raising an eyebrow, Sasuke took a sip of his tea before starting on his favorite dish.

"You sure that's gonna fill ya?" Naruto said, in between obnoxious slurps, gesturing towards Sasuke's plate.

"Yes, I wasn't all too hungry to begin with" Sasuke confessed, taking a bite.

"Hmmm" Naruto hummed in response, his chopsticks increasing in velocity.

Naruto sighed, as he finished in record time. He was no where near full however, and he began to look around for the waitress. When he did finally catch sight of her, he failed to get her attention.

The woman seemed to be daydreaming in their direction, but unable to take notice of Naruto's many, obvious signals.

Getting a clue then, Naruto asked dryly, "Hey Sasuke... You mind calling her back over here? She seems to be staring at you..."

When Sasuke looked at Naruto questioningly, Naruto was giving him a wry smile, as he jerked his head in the waitresses general direction.

Sasuke shifted uncomfortably, before reluctantly looking over at the woman who, was indeed, looking his way from behind the counter.

Noticing his gaze immediately, the girl glided over to their table.

"Is everything to your liking?" She asked Sasuke sweetly, before Naruto cleared his throat.

"Uh yeah, can I get another two servings please?" Naruto requested impatiently, as the woman who seemed to have given up entirely on equal customer service, begrudgingly tore her attention away from Sasuke.

"Sure" she said dismissively, before turning back to Sasuke, who had already started to eat again.

With a lingering smile towards him, she departed with Naruto's order.

"Tch", Naruto clucked his tongue, "Looks like you're still as popular as ever Sasuke".

Looking up at Naruto, Sasuke's expression remained unaltered and unphased.

"Speaking of which..." Naruto began, hesitantly as he looked down at the table, his aura suddenly becoming frigid.

Alarmed by Naruto's sudden emotional shift, Sasuke put down his last onigiri, to give his friend his full consideration.

"That was a weird tension between you and Sakura huh?" Naruto questioned, slightly rhetorically, as just about anyone who had witnessed the scene would probably agree.

This surprised Sasuke though, as he didn't think Naruto would be the kind to bring it up, even if he had noticed.

"Yes it was. Why do you want to talk about it?" Sasuke inquired smoothly, taking a sip of tea.

"Straight to the point eh..." Naruto sighed, uneasiness settling within him. He wasn't sure whether he should meddle in Sakura's private affairs, but he still held the same opinion he had 10 months ago when Sakura had revealed her feelings.

 _There's just no way I can let Sakura give up like that, they belong together_ , Naruto thought earnestly.

 _I'll bet she'd thank me for this, in the future_ , Naruto winced inwardly at the thought of present Sakura finding out what he intends to reveal to Sasuke.

Sasuke studied Naruto's conflicted look, and felt a growing curiosity build within him.

"Listen... I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be saying this to you, and honestly, I'm not exactly sure how you even feel about the situation... But I do think you have a right to know about someth-"

"Here you are!" The waitress suddenly appeared, the same warm smile directed at Sasuke, even though she set down the dipping noodles in front of Naruto.

"Thanks!" Naruto said, exuberantly, oblivious to the woman's ignorance of his presence.

Sasuke ignored the woman, peering at Naruto more, who seemed to be more enamored with his food now, than whatever it was he felt inclined to tell Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in frustration, as Naruto began to slurp away at his noodles, not even bothering to finish his previous thought.

"Well?" Sasuke asked finally, crossing his arms.

Naruto's eating began to gradually slow, before coming to an awkward pause mid noodle.

"Well..." Naruto began again, setting his chopsticks down.

 **~*AUTHORS NOTE~* Made this chapter a little longer, since it's been a while :3**

 **Thank you to Ber23 for the feedback on the last chapter, it's much appreciated :)**

 **I definitely do want to focus on making Sakura harder to get, as that was my original purpose for this fic! x3**

 **I hope this chapter solidifies my intent on that ^-^**

 **Thank you to the new followers of the fic, Tash0726, KaShiMah13, and BlackcatSkye :D**

 **And thanks as well to Maria Camila818 and BlackcatSkye for favoriting! ;3**

 **As well, of course, thanks to everyone who already has followed and favorited, and to everyone that even bothers to read this fic ^_^**

 **Means a lot to me :) Hope you all have a great week!** **!** ~(=^‥^)/

 ** **As always, all reviews and feedback super appreciated~*** **

_**(:~Every single one of you, inspires me to continue~:)**_


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